Governor General Michaëlle Jean granted a request from Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to prorogue Parliament. This means that the Conservatives will avoid next week’s no-confidence motion, which would have tossed Harper out of power. Gov. Gen. Jean could also have denied the request, and then either seated the Coalition government or called a new election after the no-confidence motion passed next Monday.
The Liberal and New Democratic Parties had agreed to form a coalition following the woeful budget submitted by the Conservatives last week. This coalition, backed by the sovereigntist Bloc Québécois, has a majority of seats in the House of Commons. However, Stpehen Harper has apparently taken his ball and went home, and Canada will be without a functioning Parliament for the next two months in the middle of a global economic meltdown.
Leaders of the coalition are confident that the two months off will do nothing to give Mr. Harper the confidence of the Parliament unless major changes are made. Leader of the Coalition and Would-Be Prime Minister Stéphane Dion said “warm sentiments are not enough. His behaviour must change.” NDP leader Jack Layton was more militant, saying “[confidence in the government] isn’t going to be restored by seven weeks of propaganda.” Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe is attempting to incite a backlash in Québec, declaring that “the Conservative leader denigrated the votes of all Quebecers.”
Parliament will reconvene on January 26, where, if the Coalition leaders’ predictions are correct, Harper will lose his Prime Ministership.
I’m quite a bit upset about this. First of all, it sets an awful precedent for the future. Saying that a Prime Minister can prorogue Parliament anytime he wants to avoid a no-confidence motion is dangerous. I also fail to see what will change–either Harper submits a similar proposal and loses his government or he adopts one favourable to the Coalition, neither of which are good scenarios for the Conservatives.
I’m very curious to see how Harper’s attacks on the Bloc affect Monday’s Provincial Election in Québec. The Bloc is clearly trying to incite a backlash, and it appears it may be working. The Partí Québécois is hoping to make huge gains, as Québec Pride is raised from the constant bashing of the Bloc.
Needless to say, it’ll be a pretty interesting election in Québec next Monday, and a pretty interesting couple of months in Canada.
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